In January 2023, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the field during a Monday night game – one of the most terrifying scenes in the history of American sports.
Less than two years later, on Monday night, Hamlin recorded the first interception of his career, sending his teammates and the home Bills crowd into ecstasy.
The play occurred late in the second quarter of Buffalo’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. With the Bills leading 20-3, Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence threw a downfield pass to rookie receiver Brian Thomas Jr. on first-and-10. Instead, it found Hamlin, who intercepted the pass at Buffalo’s 40-yard line and returned it 19 yards.
The crowd at Highmark Stadium erupted in cheers as Hamlin ran down the sideline to celebrate with his fellow Bills defensive linemen in the end zone. He continued to receive praise and congratulations from his teammates on the sideline.
It was a special moment for Hamlin, the Bills and the entire NFL community, who watched in horror on a Monday night in 2023, not knowing if Hamlin would survive. Not only did Hamlin survive, but he is now a successful NFL starter.
After a long recovery process, Hamlin returned to the Bills last season in a largely ceremonial role. He was a member of the roster for the 2023 season, but played only sporadically as a backup in five games and recorded two tackles on the season.
Before Buffalo’s season opener on September 8 against the Arizona Cardinals, Bills head coach Sean McDermott announced that Hamlin would return to the starting position he held before his cardiac arrest.
“What else can’t this young man do?” McDermott said on Sept. 4. “He’s been through what he’s been through on the field, you’ve written about it time and time again, and to come back from that – it’s one thing to come back from a torn ACL or a broken bone.
“It’s another thing to come back from what he came back from. Not to mention that he’s decided to play football and contact football in full gear at the NFL level – I don’t think I need to say more. It’s unbelievable.”
Hamlin has since started the first three games of the season for Buffalo, recording 14 tackles in two games leading up to Monday’s game against Jacksonville. And how he experienced his first career interception on the same “Monday Night Football” broadcast where he witnessed his horrific scene on the field less than two years ago.
